Google Drives Phone Maps http://www.redherring.com/Article.aspx?a=17707&hed=Google+Drives+Phone+Maps§or=Industries&subsector=Communications
Search king plans to make navigation easier both in the car and on the cell phone. July 25, 2006 With gas prices and temperatures in much of the United States sky high, Google’s release on Tuesday of an update of Google Maps for Mobile, a software system that turns a cell phone into a vehicle navigation system, seems well-timed. The Mountain View, California-based company announced Google Maps for Mobile, a product that could appeal to the gadget lover, the urbanite, and the gender with a well-documented phobia about asking for directions. To get the product up and running, cell phone users must download Google Maps for Mobile software from the web through their phone’s browser. The software, installed on phones capable of supporting these kinds of applications, then allows the user to access up-to-date traffic information. “If it is not slow and does not require too much user input, this could be a great service from Google,” said Roger Kay, principal analyst of Wayland, Massachusetts-based Endpoint Technologies Associates. “There are only so many phones that can support these kinds of applications, so that is a drawback.” The information is color-coded so the user has a quick way of recognizing what routes are congested and what routes are free. Red represents the least desirable condition: traffic jams. Yellow represents slow conditions, while green is the driver’s cue to hit cruise control. Despite the news, Google shares dipped $5.01 to $385.89 in recent trading as the company awaits a judge’s decision on whether he will sign off on a $90-million settlement in a click fraud lawsuit filed by the company’s advertisers. Crucial Storage The product will have comprehensive functionality in 30 urban centers in the United States, but will come with less than full functionality elsewhere. However, it will include a crucial feature everywhere: the ability to store frequently used searches and driving directions. Most U.S. drivers take fairly regular and predictable commutes to work, to shop, or to relax. By storing the various driving directions to any particular destination, users can more easily access, update, and compare the congestion on the various alternative routes. “Being able to invoke stored routes makes things a lot easier,” said Mr. Kay. “It means fewer clicks to find and update the information. It’s another example of Google figuring it out, and getting a product out there with the right kind of feature set.” With the new upgrade, users of Google’s navigation system can see driving directions, along with the current traffic conditions, and the expected driving time. Personalized Home Page In a related announcement, Google said mobile users will now be able to personalize their home page, making the all-important web navigation to oft-used sites and services easier. Most companies targeting the mobile user are acutely aware both of the limitations of the user interface and the user’s attention span while driving or jogging. Users of Google’s personalized mobile home page can now determine what shows up on the page and also the order in which the content is served. “People can’t focus their full attention on a multi-step interface while driving and/or engaged in other things, so allowing one-click access to content or services is the real challenge in this market,” said Mr. Kay. Reply with a "Thank you" if you liked this post. _____________________________ MEDIANEWS mailing list [email protected] To unsubscribe send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
